2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Farmers in northwest Washington are searching for new crops that are well suited to the region’s moderately cool environment, have good market value, and fill a crop rotation niche that supports the production of the primary high-value specialty crops grown in the region. Bulb fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) fits these criteria. Bulb fennel is a cool-weather crop that is produced predominantly in Sicily, which has a climate similar to northwest Washington during the fennel production season. The average temperature in Sicily during bulb fennel seeding/transplanting (Nov.-Dec.) is 13^oC, and during harvest (Mar.-May) is 17^oC, which is similar to the growing climate of Mount Vernon, Washington during the spring (11^oC) and summer (16^oC). This study tested the yield and quality of 11 bulb fennel cultivars in northwest Washington in summer 2017. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with 4 replications and 20 plants per plot, and the planting design was a double row on a raised bed with drip irrigation covered with black plastic mulch. All cultivars were seeded in the greenhouse on 2 May and transplanted to the field 14 June. The average emergence was 91%, with Orazio, Solaris and Zefa Fino with the lowest emergence (85% on average). The days from seeding to first harvest was 148 to 150 days for all cultivars except Bronze, which did not form bulbs. All cultivars except Florence and Zefa Fino reached marketable bulb size (bulb circumference ≥ 16 cm). Solaris and Tauro produced the largest bulbs, with average bulb weight of 400 g. Finale and Tenace produced more marketable bulbs (80%) than other cultivars. There were no significant differences among cultivars in total soluble solids (TSS), tenderness and branching; and internal cracking was also similarly minimal for all cultivars. Perfection had the lowest basal cracking level than other cultivars, but all bulbs were considered marketable. These preliminary results indicate northwest Washington has the potential to produce high-quality bulb fennel. This study will be repeated in 2018 and will also include a second seeding/transplant date of 2 weeks later than the current study.